Story+2017-10-03+New+York+City,+NY

"Spoiler Alert "
 * 03.10.17 New York City, NY**

This was no concert. Don't expect surprises; don't expect tributes to dearly departed artists. This is a set piece. It may evolve--Bruce may decide that a song doesn't underscore a story as well as a different one might and therefore replace it--but I don't expect change for the sake of variety.

It *felt* like a theater piece. Bruce barely acknowledged the audience, performing his stories as an actor delivering a monologue would. His deliveries were polished, considered, and inflected. I wondered at times if he had worked with an acting coach--he sounded very different telling these stories than he has in tours past.

The lights went down right at 8pm; Bruce walked out with no fanfare and dedicated the show to Tom Petty and then immediately launched into a monologue that painted a picture of what was to come. He spoke in the style and voice that he used in his book; certain passages were lifted verbatim from the book, in fact, and others were so much in that voice that you could be forgiven for not knowing when he was reciting the book and when he was expanding on it.

It was immediately clear--even before the first song--that this was going to be "Born to Run: The Musical." That said, to me at least it did not feel nostalgic at all--the songs were in service of the story, and even old chestnuts sounded new and had deeper meaning when connected to his life's narrative.

He played continuously, providing his own instrumental soundtrack for his stories, and when he sang, he wove together verse, chorus, and prose within each song. If you were there for the music, you might have found that frustrating--but this show is less for fans of Bruce's music and more for fans of the man himself. If you've ever wanted insight into the artist and his muses, this felt as close to authenticity as you are ever likely to get.

There are some very light and funny moments--almost all self-deprecating--but most of the stories and songs are emotionally deep and cutting. (My favorite funny: early in the show, Bruce acknowledged, "I have never done an honest day's work in my life. And yet, it's the only thing I write about.")

The first five songs comprised one long narrative flow--a first act, if you will, covering his childhood and coming of age. As I wrote earlier, "My Father's House" just shredded me. I wept openly. It's always been one of my favorite songs of his, and I've never heard it live. The narrative about his dad that he wove around it made it even more heart-breaking than it already is. The absolute highest highlight of the show, IMO.

"Promised Land" through "10th Avenue" were a leap forward in time to the band years. Although I loved the performance of BITUSA sandwiched in between "Promised Land" and "10th Avenue," it felt forced to me from a narrative perspective. It was a vignette (tied to the story of how he met Kovic) that didn't seem connected to the rest of the tale. Probably it was to illustrate where his social concern and activism originated from, but I felt like I had to infer that rather than feel or sense it.

I loved the interlude with Patti. Seeing the two of them sing to each other songs that obviously hold so much meaning to them as a couple--when you're that close in a room that small, with just their two voices and two guitars--I felt almost an intruder. They were singing to each other rather than to us, and it was absolutely a highlight of the show.

GOTJ through LOHAD represented the final act--less about Bruce's life and more about the issues he cares about. My one and only half-complaint about the "setlist" is that I thought DITD was very, very out of place. I absolutely loved the arrangement (the same as at Invictus the other night), but it was just strange sandwiching it in after GOTJ, and "Long Walk Home" and before LOHAD. I honestly don't know why he even has it in the show. Even his "Put on your dancing shoes!" lead-in was just weird in that setting. If it weren't for the fact that I loved the seamless transition from Dancing to LOHAD, I'd advise him to drop it. I'd prefer a fuller LOHAD to the combined Dancing/LOHAD.

LOHAD itself--wow. I may be biased, as it's my favorite song of his, but the power he brought was incredible. Somehow, he summoned the band, and that abbreviated version felt for two minutes or so like an ESB encore. So powerful.

BTR was gorgeous--very much the Tunnel arrangement, but with the "Promised Land" heartbeat outro (minus the abrupt twang--just a graceful fadeout). Maybe it was just me, but I felt like at the end of the song, everyone was singing (softly) along with the "woah oh ohs." Bruce asked for the audience to be lit up for that last song (felt like an audible decision, but maybe not) so that he could see who he had been performing to.

No encore, just bows, and a hasty exit--lights were up within seconds.

I loved every moment of the experience. I was fortunate enough to score a front row seat right in front of Bruce's piano bench in the drop last week, and while I don't regret for a moment spending the money, I certainly think I would have been just as satisfied with any other seat on the main floor (I wasn't able to check out the view upstairs, so I'll let others comment on that).

One last note re: the (presumably) unchanging nature of the setlist--I have tickets for later in the run that I was intending to sell after scoring the great ticket for last night. I'm not going to do that now. I want to see this show again. I don't care if it's exactly the same as it was last night, with seats that aren't as good--that experience was so powerful for me, the content so moving... like a great play, I could see it again and again.

I was skeptical going into this--I thought it was an overpriced acoustic tour and that I'd end up having enjoyed myself but feeling vastly overcharged. I don't feel that way at all. I've not seen anything quite like this before, and I can't wait to see it again.

Hope you get a chance to enjoy it, too.

Merch: numbered poster run (2000), two tees and a sweatshirt

Photography: strict, but plenty of people ignored it and took selfies before the show and photos of Bruce during final bows. I saw cameras come out surreptitiously during the show at tImes too.

One important warning: you can't leave your seat at all during the show, even to use the rest room. If you do, you watch the rest of the show from the back of the house. No exceptions.´´

//Compiled by : Fever (Poster on BTX)//